Sweet treats

Sfenj recipe with cinnamon dusting

15 minutes prep plus 45 minutes proving and 2-3 minutes frying
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This sfenj recipe makes a deliciously light and fluffy Morrocan doughnut with a yeasty and delicate taste. They’re perfect to enjoy on their own, with a honey glaze or even as part of an indulgent breakfast. North African Jewish populations traditionally eat sfenj at celebratory times of year.

Here, Israeli chef and founder of Bala Baya restaurant, Eran Tibi, shares his fabulous sfenj recipe, developed to celebrate Hanukkah. Hanukkah is an incredibly important festival in the Jewish calendar. Also known as the festival of light, it’s an eight-day celebration marked by the lighting of menorah, along with plenty of games and gifts, not to mention feasting! This Morrocan sfenj recipe would make a fabulous finale to a family meal.

Serve fresh for a soft, warm centre and crunchy coating. The indulgence of this Moroccan sfenj recipe, paired with the warming, aromatic dusting, makes it the perfect winter treat to enjoy alongside a steaming mug of something delicious. In need of some inspiration? Try our tumeric and coconut latte, or even our spiced warming coffee.

Discover more delicious recipes from Liz Earle Wellbeing

With special thanks to Eran Tibi and Goisrael.com

Ingredients

  • 500g strong bread flour
  • 1 tbsp of salt
  • 2 tsp of sugar
  • 300ml water
  • 20g melted butter
  • 14g dried yeast
  • Vegetable oil
  • Sugar and cinnamon for dusting

Method

  1. Mix bread flour and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the sugar water, melted butter and and dry yeast. Leave this wet mixture aside for 5-10 mins and wait for bubbles to appear.
  2. Create a well in the flour and salt mixture and add the second mixture in slowly, one bit at a time. Knead this for four minutes slowly and once everything is mixed, knead for another four minutes but faster than the first time.
  3. Place the dough into a clean bowl and prove for 45 minutes. Once ready, bash it back down and pull off a piece of dough about the size of a plum. Using your fingers make a hole in the dough and stretch into a ring. Alternatively, leave them as small balls.
  4. In a wide pot heat an inch of vegetable oil until hot – then insert the rings/balls, fry 2-3 at a time. Fry them until golden brown, flipping a few times to make sure both sides are cooked well.
  5. Remove from oil and set on plate to drain.
  6. Once the extra oil has been absorbed, roll them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture before they cool off.